Yue Bi Jia Ban Xia Tang
Star越婢半夏汤 (Maidservant from Yue's Decoction plus Pinellia)
Source: Jin Gui Yao Lue (c. 220)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Yue Bi Jia Ban Xia Tang (Maidservant from Yue's Decoction plus Pinellia), from Essentials from the Golden Cabinet (c. 220).
Associated formula of Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang.
Actions: Disseminates the Lung qi; Calms wheezing; Dispels thin mucus; Clears heat
Indications: Wheezing with productive cough (yellowish or white sputum), dry mouth with desire to drink, fullness in the chest and diaphragm, facial edema with bulging eyes, chills without sweating, mild to moderate fever, a red tongue with a yellow, possibly greasy coating, and a floating, large, slippery or slippery, rapid pulse; often headache, rattling sputum, anxiety, use of accessory respiratory muscles
Pattern: Lung distention: chronic heat and thin mucus with superimposed external wind
Usage: For Lung distention with wheezing, facial edema and thin mucus plus an external wind condition.
Category: Formulas that Clear Heat from the Organs.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 185.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ma Huang
as printed: Ephedrae Herba (ma huang) 18g
|
18g | 19.35% | — | |
|
Shi Gao
as printed: Gypsum fibrosum (shi gao) 48g
|
48g | 51.61% | — | |
|
Sheng Jiang
as printed: Zingiberis Rhizoma recens (sheng jiang) 9g
|
9g | 9.68% | — | |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Glycyrrhizae Radix (gan cao) 6g
|
6g | 6.45% | — | |
|
Ban Xia
as printed: Pinelliae Rhizoma preparatum (zhi ban xia) 12g
|
12g | 12.9% | — | |
|
Da Zao
as printed: Jujubae Fructus (da zao) 15 pieces
|
15pieces | 100% | — |
Energetics dose-weighted
The formula's overall nature, taste balance and channel reach, weighted by each herb's dose. Classical formulas often pair warm and cool herbs on purpose, so a net figure summarises the mix — it doesn't describe every herb in it.
Nature
Net slightly cool (-0.61)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 52%, neutral 7%, warm 42%.
Pairs warm and cool. 42% of the weighed grams are warm or hot and 52% cool or cold — the net is their average, not the whole story.
Taste
- pungent 58%
- sweet 32%
- bitter 10%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Lung 100%
- Stomach 81%
- Spleen 29%
- Heart 7%
Share of the grams entering each channel, from 100% of the weighed grams.
1 herb without a dose in grams, so left out of every figure above: Da Zao.
Dose-weighted from each herb's recorded nature, taste and channels (missing values are left out, never counted as neutral). It describes the composition — it is not a recommendation.
Preparation
Decoction; source cooks ma huang briefly before adding the rest, which is no longer done, and all doses are now reduced by one- to two-thirds.
Relationships
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Formula family
Each entry reads as the larger formula written out: “+” adds its other catalogue cores, then the herbs none of them hold. A catalogue formula counts as a core only when at least 80% of its herbs are present, no more than 1 is absent, and the absent herb is not its chief.
Formula Network
Formulas that share herbs with this one — the closer to the centre, the stronger the match. Click a node to explore.
Similar Formulas by composition
Match score combines dosage-weighted composition (cosine, 70%) with shared-herb overlap (Jaccard, 30%).
Traditional formula information is for educational purposes only. Herbal formulas should be prescribed by a qualified practitioner — dosages and combinations are individualized and can interact with medications.
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